{"id":60205,"date":"2019-07-28T14:09:19","date_gmt":"2019-07-28T11:09:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=60205"},"modified":"2023-02-19T21:08:50","modified_gmt":"2023-02-19T19:08:50","slug":"the-limitations-of-loyalty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/the-limitations-of-loyalty\/","title":{"rendered":"The Limitations Of Loyalty\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u201cIs there anyone still left of the House of Saul,\u201d asks David, \u201cthat I may show him kindness (chesed<\/em>) for the sake of Jonathan?\u201d (2 Samuel 9:1).<\/span><\/p>\n

The wording of this question, as well as its appearance immediately after the long description of David\u2019s victories over his enemies in chapter 8, evoke the memory of an oath David made many years earlier, on the eve of his final escape from Saul\u2019s court. On that day, Jonathan promised to gauge his father\u2019s intentions towards David. But he asked David for a promise in return: \u201cNor shall you fail to show me the LORD\u2019s faithfulness, while I am alive,\u201d he requested, asking for a covenant, \u201cnor, when I am dead, shall you ever discontinue your kindness (chesed<\/em>) to my house\u2014not even after the LORD has wiped out every one of David\u2019s enemies from the face of the earth\u201d (1 Samuel 20:14-15).<\/span><\/p>\n

David keeps his side of this old covenant. As soon as his enemies are defeated, he seeks out Jonathan\u2019s son Mephibosheth, and promises to give him Saul\u2019s lands. He goes on to make another promise: \u201cyou shall always,\u201d he tells Jonathan\u2019s son, \u201ceat bread at my table.\u201d (2 Samuel 9:7). This is an especially resonant promise in the context of David\u2019s covenant with Jonathan, since Jonathan\u2019s side of the covenant consisted of observing King Saul\u2019s response to David\u2019s absence from his table \u2013 or, in Saul\u2019s words, his \u201cbread\u201d. When the king responded with rage, Jonathan spoke up in David\u2019s defense, and was attacked \u2013 both verbally and physically \u2013 by his father. At that point he realized that there was no hope for reconciliation and kept his promise to warn David away. In a way, David\u2019s method of honoring his own promise keeps the memory of Jonathan\u2019s chesed<\/em>\u00a0alive: Mephibosheth\u2019s presence at a king\u2019s table mirrors David\u2019s earlier absence, and brings to mind the circumstances of that absence and the faithful prince who braved his father\u2019s wrath.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sadly, David\u2019s chesed<\/em>\u00a0towards Mephibosheth won\u2019t be as steadfast. The interplay between absence and presence will take a sinister turn during Absalom\u2019s rebellion, when Mephibosheth will fail to come to the king\u2019s aid. Like Saul before him, David won\u2019t take well to a courtier\u2019s absence, and will retaliate by granting Mephibosheth\u2019s lands \u2013 the very lands he gives to Jonathan\u2019s son in chapter 9 \u2013 to the slave Ziba. Even Mephibosheth\u2019s protestations that Ziba prevented him from attending David won\u2019t move the king to undo this verdict; David will decree, instead, that Mephibosheth and Ziba will share Saul\u2019s land.<\/span><\/p>\n

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